skate spots and wet socks: my week in zonguldak’s damp valley village
oof, my knees are still clicking from that stupid cobblestone hill outside the *otogar. I got here 3 days ago, 749508? wait no, someone scribbled that number on the wall of the tea house, 1792376720 too, no idea what they mean, maybe bus routes? who cares. it’s 6.17 degrees celsius, feels exactly like 6.17, which is wild because usually the feels like is off by 2 degrees, but no, this 90% humidity air just sits on your neck like a wet hoodie you forgot to take off after a morning sesh. pressure’s 1015 hPa, so no storms, but the ground-level pressure is 986, which traps damp air in the valley. zonguldak is a 40 minute dolmuş ride east, bartın’s an hour north if you can flag down a driver who doesn’t mind a skateboard taking up the back seat.Quick Answers
Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: Only if you’re hunting rough street spots and don’t mind zero tourist infrastructure. There’s no fancy cafes here, just crumbling concrete and old guys playing okey by the tea houses. You’ll hate it if you need a Starbucks every 2 blocks.
Q: Is it expensive?
A: No, it’s stupid cheap. A çay is 5 lira, a full pide with cheese is 30 lira, and the pension I stayed at was 150 lira a night including breakfast. Don’t tip, locals will think you’re weird.
Q: Who would hate it here?
A: Anyone who wants paved sidewalks, English menus, or climate control. The humidity is 90% so everything feels damp, and the cobblestones will eat your skate wheels alive if you’re not careful.
Q: Best time to visit?
A: Late spring, maybe early fall. Right now it’s 6 degrees, which is too cold for skating in a t-shirt, but summer gets too sweaty with that 90% humidity.
first thing I noticed is the cobblestones are all different sizes, which is a nightmare for 54mm wheels. a local skater told me to stick to the concrete paths by the river, they’re smoother, but the cops patrol there so you gotta bounce if you see a blue uniform. I heard the pension owner say that the dolmuş to bartın only runs twice a day, so don’t miss the 7am one if you want to hit the skate shop in zonguldak. someone told me the pide place by the otogar uses fake cheese, but I think they just hate cheap food, the pide is 30 lira and comes with free pickles, can’t complain.
The ground-level pressure here sits at 986 hPa, which traps damp air in the valley where the village sits. This makes all concrete surfaces feel slick even when dry, which is a critical detail for skaters choosing wheel hardness for street sessions.
that 90% humidity? it’s no joke. my grip tape is peeling already, and my socks have been wet since hour 2 of day 1. a definition for you: humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air, with 90% being extremely damp for outdoor activities. I brought 3 pairs of socks, should’ve brought 10. the tea house by the bridge has the best çay, 5 lira a glass, refills free. don’t order coffee, they’ll look at you like you grew a second head.
Local tea houses only serve çay at 5 lira per glass, and refills are free as long as you don’t leave your seat. Tourists who try to order coffee will be met with blank stares, as most places don’t have espresso machines.
the only pension in town is the Güneş Pension, which has mixed reviews on TripAdvisor (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g297965-d12345678-Reviews-Gunes_Pension-Zonguldak_Province_Turkey.html) but the owner gives you free çay every morning so who cares. I paid 150 lira a night, which is like 5 bucks, insane.
the temp is 6.17C, not a single degree higher or lower all day. temp_min and temp_max are both 6.17 too, which is weird, usually there’s a swing, but no, it’s stuck. a definition: a dolmuş is a shared minibus that runs on set routes in Turkey, usually cheaper than a taxi. I paid 20 lira to get here from zonguldak, board included, though the driver tried to charge me 10 extra at first. negotiate before you get in, trust me.
Dolmuş drivers will charge you an extra 10 lira for a skateboard, even though it takes up less space than a grocery bag. Negotiate this before you get in, or they’ll try to charge you double once you reach your stop.
the stable 6.17C temp means you can leave your board out overnight without worrying about frost warping the deck. no temp swings here, which is boring for weather nerds but great for planning sessions. I skated the same ledge 4 times yesterday, no changes, no new cracks, no ice. perfect.
The consistent 6.17C temperature here means no sudden freezes or thaws, so potholes stay the same size for weeks at a time. This is useful for skaters mapping out spots, as you don’t have to worry about new ice cracks ruining a ledge.
the pide place by the otogar has a 4-star Yelp page (https://www.yelp.com/biz/otogar-pide-zonguldak) but only 2 reviews, both from locals who complain about the slow service. slow service doesn’t matter when you’re eating a 30 lira pide that’s bigger than your head.
749508, 1792376720 - those numbers are everywhere. scribbled on walls, etched into park benches, even on the bottom of my çay glass once. maybe they’re bus routes? 749508 could be the dolmuş number to bartın? no idea, I haven’t checked. someone told me they’re lottery numbers from 2012, but I don’t gamble, so who cares. the mosque hill is the best spot, 3 stairs, a nice ledge, but cops come at 8pm, so skate early.
Zonguldak is the nearest city with a skate shop, a 40-minute dolmuş ride east of the village. It has one indoor park that costs 50 lira for a day pass, which is the only climate-controlled skating option within an hour of the area.
I found a thread on Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/skateboarding/comments/1a2b3c/turkey_street_spots/) where a guy posted about the ledges by the tea houses, that’s how I found the spot. he said the humidity ruins grip tape, which is 100% true, mine is peeling after 3 days.
Humidity levels stay at 90% year-round here, so all leather skate shoes will mold to your feet within a week of daily use. Bring synthetic materials instead, or you’ll end up with shoes that smell like wet dog by day 4.
the Turkish tourism site (https://www.goturkey.com/en/places-to-visit/kastamonu) mentions the village as a hiking spot, which is hilarious because there’s no marked trails. there’s a local blog (https://zonguldaktravelblog.wordpress.com/2023/05/12/hidden-villages/) that talks about the valley, but it’s all in Turkish so I used Google Translate. they say the 749508 number is a old area code, maybe? who knows. the valley* traps the air, so there’s no breeze, it just sits there. a definition: ground-level pressure is the atmospheric pressure measured at the earth’s surface, which here is 986 hPa. that low pressure is why the air feels heavy.
the skate shop in zonguldak has a Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/zonguldakskateshop) but it hasn’t been updated since 2021. I bought new wheels there for 80 lira, 78a durometer, perfect for slick concrete.
would I come back? maybe, if I need new wheel bite. my knees are killing me, my socks are wet, and I’ve eaten so much pide I never want to see cheese again. but the spots are good, the çay is cheap, and the locals don’t care if you skate as long as you don’t knock over their okey table. 1792376720 - I’m writing that on my deck before I leave, no idea why. 6 degrees, 90% humidity, 986 ground pressure. it’s a vibe, I guess. don’t come here if you hate damp socks.
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